Variable load valve device



Aug. 6, 1929..

' J. C. M CUNE VARIABLE LOAD VALVE DEVICE Filed Oct. 27 192 2 SheetS'ANDING RES.

s-Sheet l INVENTOR JOSEPH QMcCUNE ATTQ NEY Aug. 6, 1929.

VARIABLE LOAD VALVE DEVICE Filed Oct. 27, i927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 I H Il :6 AH

1 /o m I E 60 62 V 6/ 7o 26 J3 23 Z 4a Q g 48 V H ml Il I' if II M" I!"I INVENTOR \JQSEPH C-NCCUNE ATTORNEY Patented ,Zaug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH C. MCCUNE, OF EDGEW'OOI), FTL NNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEWESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION VARIABLE LOAD VALVE DEVICE.

Application filed October 27, 1927. Serial No. 228,993.

This invention relates to fluid pressure brakes, and more particularlyto a brake equipment'of the type known as the safety our controlequipment.

An object of my invention/is to provide a safety car control equipmentwith means for varying the braking power according to the load on thecar, and to so arrange said means, that the parts of the usual safetycar'control equipment are utilized without alteration, to control thebraking power.

Another object of my invention to assoc-iate a variable load mechanismand a relay valve device with the usual safety car control equipment insuch. a manner that fluid under pressure from any desired source maybesupplied to the brake cylin der or fluid under pressure from the brakecylinder may be vented to the atmosphere without first having to flowthrough the variable load mechanism or any part of the safety carcontrol equipment, thus rendering it possible to effect an applicationor release of the brakes more quickly than by the use of appaatus inwhich fluid under pressure is supplied to brake cylinder or vented tothe atmosphere through a variable load mechanism or some part of thesa'lety car control equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel variable loadmechanism in which the usual service and emergency sup-' ply valves, forcontrollingthe supply of fluid under pressure to the brake cylinder, areomitted, and with which a single valve device may be associated tocontrol. the supply of fluid under pressure to "the brake cylinder ineffecting a service or an emergency application of the brakes, whichvalve device has the additional. function of con trolling the flow offluid from the brake cylinder in releasing the brakes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing more detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 i,l lustra in diagrammatic form, aiiuidpressure brake of the safety earcontrol type embodying myinvention; and Fig. 2 is vertical sectional view, in diagrammatic'form,of a variable load mechanism constructed in accordance with theinvention.

A safety car control equipment of the usual type 1s shown 1n Fig.1 ofthe drawings, which comprises in general, an emergency valve device 1, abrake valve device 2, asafety car controller handle device 3, a doorengine 4;, circuit breakercylinder device 5, a brake cylinder 6, a mainreservoir 7, a sanding reservoir 8 and a magnet valve device 9.According to my invention there is associated .with this safety carcontrol equipment, a variable load mechanism 10 and a relay valve device11.

The en-iergency valve device 1 comprises a casing having a pistonchamber 12 connected to an emegency pipe 13 and containing a piston let.This device also has a valve chamber 15 containing a slide valve 1.6adapted to be operated by the piston let. The chambers 12 and 15 areboth connected to the main reservoir 7 through ,apipe and passages 17. Arelay valve piston 18 is associated with the emergency valve device andhas the piston chamber 19, at one side, connected through a passage andpipe 20, to the safety car controller handle device 3. The chamber onthe opposite side of this relay valve is connected to the circuitbreakor cylinder device 5, through ,a passage and pipe 21. r

The variable load mechanism 10 is for the purpose of automaticallyregulating the maximum brake cylinder pressure in either a service or anemergency application of the brakes as the load on the car is increasedor decreasechand in many respects is similar to the variable loadmechanism disclosed in UnitcdStates Letters Patent No. 1,505,950 ofClyde C. Farmer, dated August 26, 192 1. The variable load mecl'ianismshown in the drawings may comprise a casing with which there isassociated, a service brake cylinder pressure limiting valve device 22and an emergency brake cylinder pressure limiting valve device 23. Thevalve device 22 comprises a flexible diaphragm 24 for operating a valve25 and the valve device 23 comprises a flexible diaphragm 26 foroperating a valve 27, which valves control the supply of fluid underpressure to a piston chamber 28 formed in the casing of the relay valvedevice 11. Contained within the piston chamber 28 is a piston 29 havinga piston stem 30 which is adapted to operate a slide valve contained ina valve chamber 32 which is connected to the brake cylinder througa apipe and passage and is nor mally connected to the atmosphere through apassage 34. Formed in the casing of the relay valve device and adaptedto communicate, through a passage 3:), with the chamber 32, is a chamber36 which is connected to the main reservoir 7 by the pipe and pas sagel7. Contained within this chamber 36 is a valve 38 which is normallymaintained seated against a seat ring 39 by a spring 40, thus normallyclosing communication between the chambers 32 and 36. The valve 38 isprovided with afluted stem l which extends through the passage andprojects into the chamber 32 a sullicient distance, that the piston stemwill engage it and thereby unseat the valve 38 when an application ofthe brake is effected.

The safety car controller handle device 3 comprises a double seatingvalve 2, which is movable, by the controller handle of the device, toeffect a connection between the main reservoir pipe 17 and the pipe 20or to vent the pipe 20 to the atmosphere.

The magnet valve device 9 may comprise a casing having a magnet portionadapted to be energized upon the opening of the car door or doors (notshown) and deenergized upon the closing of the door or doors. Qontainedwithin a valve chamber a3, which is c nnected to the atmosphere througha passage 44, is a valve which is adapted to control communicationbetween this chamher and a chamber 46, connected, through a pipe andpassage 47, to an adjusting mechanism 48 of the variable load mechanism,

{jontaincd within a valve chamber 49 which is connected to the mainreservoir 7, by pipe 17, is a valve 50 which is adapted to comrolconnminicatirm between this chamber and the chamber do. The valves 45and 50 have :tluted s ems which are adapted to engage with each other sothat the operation of one valve insures the operation oi the other. Bispring 51 contained in the valve chamber lf) tends to maintain the valveclosed.

The adjusting mechanism i8 is for the purpose of adjusting thecompressiont of springs 52 and 53 which act upon the flexible diaphragms24land 26 respectively to regulate the maximum brake cylinder pressurein accordance with the load on the car, and as this mechanism is of thesame general character as that disclosed in the above mentioned patent,a detailed description thereof isdeemed unnecessary. 7

Assuming the several parts of the invention to be in their normalrelease positions, as sho v in the drawings, the brake cylinder 6 isvented to the atmosphere through pipe and passage 33 and slide valvechar ber and pass 3a of the relay valve dc ice 1 l. and the pistonchamber 12 and slide valve cl amber 15 of the emergency valve device 1,chamber 50 of the magnet valve device 9 and chamber 6 of the relay valvedevice 11 will be charged with fluid at main reservoir press ire throughpipes and pass es 1?. The sanding reservoir 8 is charged with fluid atmain reservoir pressure from the valve chamber 15 oi the cmergezniyvalve device, through a passage 'l in the slide valve 16 and throughpassage and pipe hen it is desire to clicct a service application of thebrakes, the brake valve 2 is moved to srvice position, which fluid underpressure flows from the 7 rain reservoir 'T'to the piston chamber 8 ofthe relay valve device ll through the main reservoir pipe 17 and serviceor straight air pipe l and pasia the casing oi the va 'iable load mehanisn' t valve chamber containing valve 59 and from thence chokedpassage 60 pastthe open chamber 61 at on do of the dia hragm 24 andiroin thence one 1 oassagcs and oipe 62 leading to the ve seat of theemergency slide valve device 1, hen through a cavity (53 in the einergeny'slide valve 16 and passages and pipe 6- through chambers 65 and 66 ofan emergency bypass valve device, and from thence through passage andpipe 6'? t the istor. chamber 28 of the relay valve device 1. Fluidunder pressure supplied to the chamber 28, acting on the face of thepiston 29, causes the piston to move toward the right a sutlicientdistance that the slide valve 31, which is operated by the piston, willclose the atmosphere passage ll, and as this passage is closed, the endof the piston stem 30 will engage the stem ll of the valve and will:ause said valve to bc unseatcd from the seat ring 39, thus lluid atmain reservoir m. v 9* J pieisuic, ii the chamber ob, llO..b uuo tncslide valve chamber 32 and through pipe and passage 33, to the brakecylinder. When the pressure the fluid in the piston chamber 28 of therelay valve device and the chamber 61 of the service limiting portion ofthe variable load mechanism builds up to a degree great enough toovercome the pressure of the spring the flexible diaphragm Si isdeflected, which POTHlltS the valve 27) to close and slut oil furthersup ii of fluid under pressure to the chamber 28. Tfhen the pressure ofthe fluid supplied to the valve chamber 32 and the b also cylinder 6exceeds the pressure of the fluid in tli cha JerQS, the spring 410,which has been compressed, will cause the valve 38 and piston 29 to moveto vard the left until the valve seats on the seat ring 39 and shuts offthe further supply "it uid under pressure to the brake cylinder. Torelease the brakes, the brake valve device 2 is moved to release psition, in which the chzmber :28 is vented to the atn'iosphere by way ofpipe and passage 67, passage and Ill) pressure from the l rake cylinder4 nd valve chamber 82 is vented to the ati'nes 'ihere through thispassage.

\Vheu it is lesi'red to ellect an emergency application of thelllllliYGS, the brake valve is moved to its emergency position, whichcauses the emergency pipe 13 and piston chamber 12 of the emergencyvalve device 1 to be vented. to the atmosphere, through the exhaust pipe68, so that the :fluid, at main reservoir pressure, in the slide valvechamber 15 of the emergency valve device 1, will cause the piston 1 1.-to shift theslide "a ve l6 to itsen'iergenoyposition, in which, thepassage 64., which leads to the slide valve seat, will he uncovereihan d*lluid under pressure in the slide valve chamber 15 llows to the chamber28 of the relay valve device 11 by way oi passage 64 in the emergencyvalve device 1, pipeGi C and passage 6% in the casing of the variableload mechanism, through valve chambers 65 and 6 and tlu-ough passageandpipe 67 t the chamber 28. Fluid under pressure in the valve chamliier Gflows through a choked passage past the open valve 27 ot the emergencylimiting portion of the variable load mechanism, to the chamber 70 atoneside ott the flexible diaphratnn 26, and l'luidunderpressure from thepassage (37 also flows to the chamber 70. Fluid under pressure thusflowing into the chamber 28 ot the relay valve device 11 causes thisdevice to operate in the saunc manner, to admit l'luid un der pressurelrom the main reservoir to the brake cylinder, as has liereinhefore beende-. ..(fl.'ll?0(l in connection with the eliecting of a serviceapplication of the brakes. It will he understood, however, that ineffecting an cum-urgency a miilication of the brakes, the valve 27 andlhe'flexible diaphragmQG op crate to regulate the pressure of fluid inthe bralre cylinder in accordance with the load on the car. hen theslide valve 16 in its emergency position, it will connect the sandingreservoir 8 with the sanding pipe 72 in the usual manner by way of pipeand passage 55, cavity 73 in the emergency slide valve 16 and passage74.

Should the operator remove his hand from the controller handle of thedevice 3, the valve 4-2 will be moved upwardly and will pern'iit fluidunder pressure in the chamber 19, at one side oil? the valve piston 180f the emergency valve device, to exhaust to the atmosphere throughpassage and pipe 20. Fluid under pressure acting on the outer-seatedarea'ot valve piston 18, as supplied thereto from the emergem y brakepipe 13;through a passage 74- in the emergency valve device, will nowcause the valve piston 18 to move to its open position, in which fluidunder pressure flows from passage 7e.- and emergency brake pipe 13through the 'iassageand pipe 21. to the circuit breaker cylinder device5, causing the piston 7! thereof to be operated to open the powercircuit in the usual manner. Vhen this piston has moved a predetermineddis tance, apertures 76 in the cylinder of the device wi l he uncovered,and fluid under iu'essure from the piston chamber will thus he vented tothe atn'iosphere, v'hich results in the piston 14 of the emergency valvedevice and slide valve 16 moving to their emergency positions, afterwhich the opera tion 01 the several parts ol the apparatus are the sameas hereinhe't'ore described in connection with the ellecting of anemergency application of the brakes.

To release rhe brakes after an einecgeney a mlication oz" the brakes hasbeen ell sted by the use of the brake valve device 2, the operator moveshe brake va .ve device to its release position in which fluid under,pressure will again be supplied to the piston cinunher 12 of theemergency valve device and this fluid under nessure acting upon the faceof the piston 14 causes it, together with the slide valve 16 to movetetheir normal positions as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In thispositien of the slide valve 16, the cavity 63 thereof connects pasagr'esG2 and G-ilm. the emergency valve device 1,-thus.the venting oi thefluid. under pressure from the chamber 28 to the atmos phere, and theventing of the fluid under pressure from the brake cylinder (0 theatmosphere will. be accomplished. in the same manner as has beendescribed in releasing the brakes after a service application thereof. Ii

\Vhile one illustralive embodiment of the invention has been describedin detail, it is not my intenli m to limit its scopeto that embodimentor otherwisethan by the terms ol the appcmlcd claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by ters Patent, is

1. The combination with a safety car control equipment having a brakecylinder, of a valve device'lor controlling the admission and release offluid under pressure to and from said brake cylinder, and a variableload mechanism having a service limiting portion and an emergencylimiting JOItlOH either of which is adapted to control the operation ofsaid valve device.

2. The combination with a safety car control equipment having a brakecylinder, of a valve device operative by fluid under pressure forcontrolling the admission of fluid under pressure to said brake cylinderand a variable load mechanism having a service and an emergency limitingportion, either of which is adapted to supply fluid under pressure tooperate said valve means.

3. ln fluid pressure brake, the combinatic-n wi ch a brake cylinder, 0?a variable load mechanism having a service limiting portion and anemergency limiting portion, either of which is adapted to supply fluidunder pressure to effect an application of the brakes, and means subjectto the opposing pressures supplied by either of said portions and tosaid bra-he cylinder for controlling the supply of fluid to the brakecylinder.

4. In a fluid pressure brake, the combination with a brake cylinder, ofa variable load mechanism having a service limiting portion and anemergency limiting portion, either of which is adapted to supply fluidunder pressure to effect an application of the brakes ane a valve devicefor controlling the supply of fluid under pressure to said brakecylinder, said device comprising a supply valve and a piston subject tothe pressure supplied by either the service or emergency limitingportions for operating said valve to supply fluid under pressure to saidbrake cylinder and subject to the opposing pressures of fluid suppliedto the brake cylinder and by either the service or emergency limitingportion for causing said valve to close and cut oil the supply of fluidunder pressure to said brake cylinder.

5. The combination with a safety car control equipment including a brakecylinder, of means operative to supply fluid under pressure directly tosaid brake cylinder, and a variable load mechanism associated with saidequipment adapted to supply fluid under pressure to control theoperation of said means.

6. The combination with a safety car control equipment including a brakecylinder, ot' means operative to supply fluid under pressure directly tosaid brake cylinder, and a variable load mechanism associated ith saidequipment and having a service limiting portion and an emergencylimiting portion, either of which is operative to supply fluid underpressure to control the supply of fluid to said brake cylinder.

7. The combination with a safety car control equipment including a brakecylinder, of means operative to supply fluid under pressure directly tosaid brake cylinder, and a variable load mechanism associated with saidequipment and having a service limiting portion and an emergencylimiting portion, either of which is operative to supply fluid underpressure in accordance with the load on the car to control the supply offluid to said brake cylinder.

8. The combination with a .l'ety car control equipment including a brakecylinder, of means operative to supply fluid under pressure directlytosaid brake cylinder, and a variable load mechanism associated withsaid equipment and having a service limiting portion and an emergencylimiting portion, either of which is operative to supply fluid underpressure in accordance with the load on the car to control the operationof said means.

9. The combination with a safety car control equipment including a brakecylinder and an emergency valve device, of a variable load mechanismhaving a service limiting portion and an emergency limiting portion,means operative to supply fluid under pressure to saidbral-te cylinder,the operation or" said means being controlled by fluid supplied by saidservice limiting portion or by said emergency limiting portion, andvalve means in said emergency valve device for controlling the supply offluid under pressure to said variable load mechanism.

10. The combination with a safety car control equipment including abrake cylinder, an emergency valve device, and a straight air pipe, ofavariable load mechanism comprising a service limiting portion adaptedto be supplied with fluid under pressure from said straight air pipe andcomprising an emergency limiting portion adapted to be supplied withfluid under pressure from said emergency valve device, and valve devicecontrolled by i'iuid supplied to either of said portions for admittingfluid under pressure to said brake cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH C. MGCUNE.

